Gritty viking saga meets Spirited Away | Roleplay-Heavy

Creating your character

We will have a session 0, and in preperation consider these questions from the campaign frame: Group Discussion - - The Fall: What did the clan's collapse entail? Was it a brutal defeat by superior numbers, a grave betrayal from within, or a secret responsibility for the death of the last son? (The table should agree on this shared history before creating characters.) Individual Character Questions - - Personal Regrets: What role did your character play in the fall? What specific feelings or regrets do they carry? - Redemption: What does "redemption" look like for your character by the end of this saga? - Boundaries: What line will your character never cross to protect their legacy? - Emotional Safety: Daemons are drawn to strong emotions. How should we handle intense emotions (grief, terror, rage) in-game? Are there specific feelings that should be handled off-screen or with a "fade to black"? - The Oath: What commitment or oath has your character made to the other survivors? - Identity: Do you wear the badge of "Clanless" with honour, or do you seek to hide that knowledge unless absolutely necessary? - Worldview: How does your character view the spirits? Are they devout followers of the Pyramathian Bureaucracy, or do they pay only lip service to the Realm-Beyond?

Preparing for the session

Join our discord server, prepare any pregame questions for the GM and get ready to enjoy your saga.

What Rich (Wiggy) brings to the table

I utilise character voices, ambient music and tactical combat. Where I can I like to apply the rule of cool, but within reason, forming a bridge between RaW and RoC. Daggerheart is well placed to put the focus on the narrative which in turn leads to cool taking centre stage. I am a story and world first GM who encourages character rp and character specific subplots.

Homebrew rules

Spirit Communion: Spend 1 Hope to roll Knowledge (ritual) or Instinct (focus). Difficulty is set by the spirit’s rank. Success grants 10 minutes of communion - Hope: Recover the spent Hope. Fear: The spirit is agitated; future dealings are harder. Failure + Hope: The spirit declines. Failure + Fear: The spirit is displeased and may harass you later. - The Saga Track: A campaign resource. The GM awards Saga Tokens when the party performs heroic deeds, defends the innocent, or stands against daemons and monsters. Spend 1 Saga Token to reroll your Fear die and choose which result stands. - Daemon Emotion Leak: When a player fails with Fear, they name the acute emotion fuelling the moment (Terror, Rage, Grief, Panic, Envy, or Despair) and take an Emotion Token. If they fail with Fear again while holding that token, the GM advances the scene’s Daemon Summoning Track. At 10, the GM may spend a fear to summon a Daemon matching the triggering emotion. - The World Scar Countdown: A campaign countdown tracking in-game weeks. The GM advances it on major Fear spends, significant encroachments, or to pace the narrative. When it hits 0, it resets and triggers an Encroachment Event—shifting world state, altering travel routes, or forcing a political/spiritual reckoning.

How Rich (Wiggy) creates a safe table

I operate on a direct message (or group chat) identification of concerns and call this the Call-X, Call-N or Call-O method: rather than cards, a player can type either of these into the chat and no questions will be asked as to the reasons. I will simply change, rewind, or skip the aforementioned content in the case of a Call-X, or change or fade to black in the case of a Call-N. I also have the following above table, out of character rules, to help the game: RULES CONTENTIONS – STAY IN THE FLOW Short Rule: If I make a call during gameplay and no one’s character dies, the ruling stands until a break. Note it down and we’ll review it after the session or during a pause. Full Rule: If something seems off or incorrect, please trust that I’ve made the decision with good intent and the flow of the game in mind. Mid-session rule-checks break immersion, slow down our storytelling, and can cause unnecessary tension. This is a shared narrative. Let’s respect the pace and momentum of the table. Bring up concerns during a break or after the session, and I promise to review them fairly. --- RESPECT – OUR MOST POWERFUL MAGIC Disrespect, discrimination, or any form of harmful behaviour will not be tolerated at this table. Whether it’s about race, gender, sexuality, or anything else, there is no space for prejudice in this party. We are adventurers in the same fellowship, and every player deserves to feel seen, safe, and supported. If you act otherwise, expect a swift swing of the banhammer. --- COOPERATION Pathfinder is, at its core, a game of collaborative storytelling. That means: • Share the spotlight • Support each other’s character moments • Build on each other’s ideas • Listen actively Interrupting roleplay, steamrolling scenes, or ignoring other players’ moments is a critical fail in this group. We’re all co-authors of this tale, not solo acts. --- OPEN DOOR – ALWAYS WELCOME My (metaphorical) DM door is open. If you have a concern, want to check in, or simply chat about the game, reach out. I might not always reply straight away, but I will follow up. Think of me as a neutral NPC when it comes to disputes. I will mediate first, and rule second. The aim is always to keep this game a safe and welcoming place where everyone can thrive. --- TAKE FIVE – FOR WHEN YOU NEED A BREATHER At any point during the session, anyone (DM included) can call a “Take Five.” No explanation needed. We’ll pause, step away, and come back when everyone’s ready. There is no judgement for using this rule. It exists to protect the fun and ensure the adventure remains a place of joy and safety for all. NO PVP – ONE PARTY, ONE PURPOSE This is a PvP-free zone. Our game is about cooperation, not conflict between party members. If a situation looks like it might escalate into PvP, it is everyone’s responsibility, not just the GM’s, to address it. If the tension feels awkward, we can invoke the “Take Five” rule to pause, reset, and recalibrate.